Singles and married couples may adopt waiting children. You don't need to own a home or meet any specific income level to be eligible. Being the family who can best meet a child's needs is the most important factor. For one child it may be a single-parent home. For another, it may be a family with other children.

Little or no cost is involved and additional ongoing financial and medical assistance may be available for the waiting child. Most agencies do not charge service fees to families who adopt a waiting child. However, because adoption is a legal process, you will need the services of an attorney. Attorney fees and court costs average $1,000 to $1,500, which can be covered through adoption assistance, if the child is eligible. If the child is not eligible, your family would assume these legal fees.

In Illinois, most waiting children are eligible for adoption assistance. This includes children who are one year of age or older, brothers and sisters who are to be adopted together, and children who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.

Adoption assistance may include financial help for legal costs, special medical costs, and monthly assistance. Many employers offer reimbursement to families who adopt. You may also be eligible for an adoption tax credit.

Children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities are waiting for parents to make a difference in their lives. They need families to help them grow and develop to their fullest potential. They need love, guidance, and a sense of belonging that only a family can provide.

Most of the children are living in foster homes while waiting for adoption. Most have experienced some form of abuse or neglect. This could be their only placement since being moved from their family, or it could be one in a series of moves the child has experienced.

Just as every child is unique, so are the needs of the waiting children. Many of the children's behaviors are in response to their past living situations and improve after they are living with their permanent families. Some children have learning delays due to school disruptions and need special education services and a devoted family to help them catch up. Some children have more involved needs such as learning disabilities, attention deficit problems, or other physical, medical, or emotional conditions. These children may need greater supports from their adoptive families. They will be eligible for adoption assistance.

In Illinois, you will work with DCFS or a private adoption agency to help you through the adoption preparation process. Preparation includes attending sessions to learn about parenting a child through adoption and meeting other families who want to adopt. Also, an adoption worker visits your home to see that it is safe for a child. But the main purpose of the adoption worker's visit is to provide information and answer questions about parenting children who were not born to your family. The adoption worker gets to know your family so when it is time to make a decision about the child or children you feel most comfortable parenting, the agency will be able to assist you.

Some of the children featured on our web site have special educational, emotional, or medical needs. However, that information is confidential and does not appear in the descriptions. More detailed information can be shared as you are completing the adoption preparation process. Illinois law states that the agency involved in the adoption must provide specific information to the adopting parents at or before placement of the child. If known, the agency must provide in writing the following:

• Information about birth parents
  • age, race, religion, and ethnic background
  • general physical appearance
  • education, hobbies, interests, talents
  • existence of other children
• Information about birth grandparents
• Detailed medical and mental health histories of child, birth parents, immediate relatives

Call the AICI. If you have completed a home study by a licensed adoption agency, we will help you contact the child's caseworker. If you have not had a home study, we will link you to an agency to start the process.

When you see a child you would like to adopt, it doesn't necessarily mean you will get to adopt that child. Sometimes, the child's caseworker has many families to consider. The worker is looking for the best "fit" between a child and a prospective family.

Adoption can bring a family the special joy of knowing that they have made an incredible difference in a child's life. Giving a child a chance to have a loving family can be very fulfilling. Most families say the rewards far outweigh the challenges.

Parenting any child can be difficult at times. Many of the waiting children have experienced the loss of their families, friends, and relatives and are sad and feel hurt. Adoption with a stable family often helps a child learn to trust again and feel more secure.

Some families need ongoing supports after adoption. Adoption preservation services are available statewide. Adoption preservation services may include counseling, support groups, and advocacy services, as well as more intensive supports. Some families may never need or use the more intensive services but are happy to know they are available, if needed.